back to article Thought the toilet camera was weird? Try actual thumb flash drives from tech's supershow

CES wouldn’t be CES without thumbdrive nonsense and it doesn’t disappoint this year, with one device modelled after a rocking toy and another whose USB stick has no cap for you to lose. LaCie Culbuto LaCie Culbuto The flash drive fussiness from French company LaCie comes in the form of Culbuto, named after a traditional …

COMMENTS

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  1. Mondo the Magnificent
    Thumb Up

    Thumbs up!

    Imation’s 2-in-1 Micro USB flash drive is a good idea and long overdue

    As a Galaxy SIII owner I like the fact that the Galaxy [and other Android] devices can support USB flash drives natively. It's convenient for moving data, but a cable is usually required.

    So, the Imation product fills a niche gap and supports the best of both with micro and standard USB, a good idea.

    The LaCie Culbuto? Yea, well weird and this statement: “Moulded from a cast, the LaCie Culbuto’s 'soft touch' rubber gives a pleasant feeling to the fingers...” leaves one wondering if this is a USB device, come photo holder, USB device come stress ball, or USB device come sex toy?

    It must be a French thing....

    1. Captain Scarlet
      Headmaster

      Re: Thumbs up!

      USB device that rips itself out of your USB port the moment you pickup the laptop or put it into a desktop pc port on a tower.

      1. Fair Dinkum

        Re: Thumbs up!

        That's why it is aptly named "Lacie Cthulhu".

        1. Anonymous Custard

          Re: Thumbs up!

          So it's basically a weeble drive, for those of an older generation (who may be trying to keep their ideas a little more pure, not that I disagree with any of the other thoughts about what else it looks like ;) ).

          Still not sure on the cost-effectiveness of the Sandisk thing, when you can get a wifi-share/hotspot/battery/usb connection thing for £30 from Ravpower and a few others into which you can also plug a full-sized (or micro with adaptor) SD card for much greater flexibility and usage for lower price (and they work great - got one for Christmas along with SD card and a WD passport 2TB drive forming a fully portable NAS/SMB drive that fits in a case about the size of a deck of playing cards).

          Also agreed though that the Imation thumb-drive looks nice.

          1. Stevie

            Re: So it's basically a weeble drive

            Actually, the provenance of the "can't knock it over" toy goes waaaaaay forther back than that, into the late 1950s at the very least when English tots has "Kelly Dolls" - humanoid uppers, hemispherical weighted base. The play value was that you couldn't knock 'em over.

            The long winter nights just flew by.

            And they call this crop the "lost generation"

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: Thumbs up!

      I, too, like the USB/microUSB flash drive. Question is, can I pick one up at Fry's tomorrow, or have I already forgotten what the article said?

    3. Khaptain Silver badge

      Re: Thumbs up!

      Culbuter in French has several meaning.

      The slang version, which is quite common, means to "have sex, f**k, etc". Quite appropropriate given the shape of the "toy".

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    Close, but not close enough

    Nearly, but not quite shaped like an ANAL PLUG.

    Keep trying guys!!!!

    1. Elmer Phud

      Re: Close, but not close enough

      "Nearly, but not quite shaped like an ANAL PLUG."

      That's what I thought.

      The Imation jobbie is far more practical than a Weeble with a slot for your business card.

      Though I can think of a few people who would value being able to visually spam people using an anal probe.

      What's really needed is USB memory lump with a tiny bleeper or light -- I keep losing the buggers or they end up in the wash. A 64g USB memory lump that has to be introduced to the main device and after that you ask the device where you've lost your memory.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Close, but not close enough

        ""Nearly, but not quite shaped like an ANAL PLUG."

        That's what I thought.

        The Imation jobbie is far more practical than a Weeble with a slot for your business card."

        The mind boggles - what do you use as a business card?

  3. EddieD

    It's a weebil

    It wobbles, and probably crashes.

    1. Putters
      Coat

      Re: It's a weebil

      The Sailor weebil was the only one that could be stood on its head ...

    2. JDC

      Re: It's a weebil

      Weeble, surely?

      1. EddieD

        Re: It's a weebil

        Aye, you're right - but it was a long time ago...that's my normal excuse...

        1. Darryl

          Re: It's a weebil

          Thanks a lot guys. Now I have that stupid jingle stuck in my head...

          "Weeeeeeebles wobble, but they don't fall down."

          1. DiViDeD

            Re: It's a weebil

            And because it was stuck in YOUR head, you thought you'd go ahead and get it stuck in everyone else's head?

            Curse you Darryl!

            1. Intractable Potsherd

              Re: It's a weebil

              ... and since I've now got the most awful playground joke in my head because of this discussion, you can have that, too -

              There were two fields - in one were cows, and in the other, bulls. Suddenly, there was an earthquake! All the cows were knocked to the ground and thoroughly shaken up. The bulls just rocked back and forth. When the cows got back on their feet, one went to the fence separating the field and said to one of the bulls, "How come you didn't fall over?" The bull replied "It's simple - we bulls wobble but we don't fall down!"

              I don't suppose I've got time to get my coat?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    Have to agree.....

    ...looks like a bit of artistic freedom with the device plugged into the laptop, it just doesn't look right, I'd expect the cable to be bending upwards, especially in a slimline model as pictured.

    1. Richard Jones 1
      Happy

      Re: Have to agree.....

      You are laying it down wrong - oh no, hang on a minute, that's another makers machine.

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    When are they going to bring back the "Read Only" switch ?

    USB-sticks used to have a nice switch on the side to make sure it couldn't get infected

    when plugged into someone else's computer, but these days they're VERY hard to find...

  7. Dr_N

    The LaCie Culbuto...

    ... as (soon to be) featured on accident & emergency x-rays...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    weighted base in its rounded bottom which rocks around on its base when you push it

    I knew a girl like that once

  9. AMBxx Silver badge

    Daft

    Looks like a new way to break the USB socket on your laptop - pick up laptop and oops.

    The 2 in 1 is a good design, but micro usb isn't sturdy enough to cope - broken micro usb on tablet, so you can't charge it either.

    1. Johan Bastiaansen
      Facepalm

      Re: Daft

      I agree, and that problem could have been solved by simply putting the USB on the outside. Good idea, bad execution.

    2. Nigel 11

      Re: Daft

      Agree. Better a standard USB stick, with some way of pulling out a short flexible micro USB cable (an inch or two would be long enough).

      I have a portable DVD drive which has a USB cable that clips into recesses mounted in the plastic base of the drive when it's not being used. Something similar to that?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Daft

      Basically my thoughts as well. No way you have a USB drive stick out of your phone without damaging the drive, port or phone.

      Not to mention it probably won't fit if you have a case on your phone. All accessories should be designed around the idea that the phone is in an otterbox defender case.

  10. dvd

    LaCie

    The only thumb drive that I have _ever_ had fail was a LaCie :(

  11. 080

    Daft

    When you can get a 32gb Sandisk on Amazon for under £15 why would you pay £65 for one "designed" to wreck your USB socket, typical French design.. all flash and no drive.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Women what!?

    Was I the only one to check the USB vibrator link and see one of their slogans:

    "So we make gorgeous products built for women that are as easy to own as they are to use"

    Anon because of the SO usually checks my posts

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OTG Cable

    The two in one flash drive is a good idea, that said otg cables are dirt cheap, there are even keyring ones, so why bother paying a premium for a 2 in 1 devices when its more expensive and you can use any standard usb device with it instead of one flash drive...

  14. Dan 4

    You could put the round thing in a sock and hit users with it.

    1. DRendar

      "You could put the round thing in a sock and hit users with it."

      Simon, is that you?

  15. Francis Boyle Silver badge

    Coming soon to the Register

    The fun new quiz - tech toy or sex toy.

  16. Arachnoid
    Facepalm

    Have a removable cover

    In the shape of your manager and use it as a stress relief toy.........oh we already had one of those

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